I've also finished the kits for my classes, and my printer is busy printing away the class patterns.
I'm getting quite excited!
Are you going to the show? I'd love to see you there!
Friday, May 24, 2013
Kits Kits and More Kits!
I've been very busy putting kits together for the Bead & Button Show! I'll have several kits for sale at the Meet the Teachers reception on Wednesday, June 5. I'll be offering special discounts on kits for show attendees, so be sure to stop by my booth on the left side of the room. You can download the floor plan here!
I've also finished the kits for my classes, and my printer is busy printing away the class patterns.
I'm getting quite excited!
Are you going to the show? I'd love to see you there!
I've also finished the kits for my classes, and my printer is busy printing away the class patterns.
I'm getting quite excited!
Are you going to the show? I'd love to see you there!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
WIP Wednesday: More Tropical Dahlias
Today on the Bead Origami blog, I'm posting some pictures of a current work-in-progress.
I've been meaning to try out a series of WIP Wednesday posts on this blog, but so far I haven't been able to make these kinds of posts consistently. This is due to a number of reasons, partially because I sometimes hesitate to show pictures of my messy bead tray, but also because I don't generally like to post a brand new project until it's complete. I probably won't be posting any full pictures of designs-in-progress that I'm not yet comfortable releasing, but I hope to at least show some sneak peaks of the current goings-on in my beading tray.
This week, I'm continuing with the idea that I mentioned the other day for a necklace made up of Tropical Dahlia pendants. So far I've completed three of these rizo bead pendants.
I bought some big fused sterling silver jump rings that I'm thinking of using to connect them together, but I'll decide for sure once I finish more of these beaded rivoli flowers. Until then, I've left their working threads untrimmed.
The more I work with these colors, the more that they're growing on me... Why did it take me this long to work with heliotrope rivolis?
What's on your beading tray?
I've been meaning to try out a series of WIP Wednesday posts on this blog, but so far I haven't been able to make these kinds of posts consistently. This is due to a number of reasons, partially because I sometimes hesitate to show pictures of my messy bead tray, but also because I don't generally like to post a brand new project until it's complete. I probably won't be posting any full pictures of designs-in-progress that I'm not yet comfortable releasing, but I hope to at least show some sneak peaks of the current goings-on in my beading tray.
Heliotrope Tropical Dahlias
This week, I'm continuing with the idea that I mentioned the other day for a necklace made up of Tropical Dahlia pendants. So far I've completed three of these rizo bead pendants.
I bought some big fused sterling silver jump rings that I'm thinking of using to connect them together, but I'll decide for sure once I finish more of these beaded rivoli flowers. Until then, I've left their working threads untrimmed.
The more I work with these colors, the more that they're growing on me... Why did it take me this long to work with heliotrope rivolis?
What's on your beading tray?
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
New Kits: Tropical Dahlia Set
New kits are now available for the Tropical Dahlia Set! The kits make both the beaded dahlia pendant, and the smaller matching earrings.
The first colorway is in the very floral tones of cyclamen opal, pink, peach, and a nice sunny yellow. I've taken to wearing this one myself quite frequently!
The second colorway is in the cooler colors of fern green, teal, and deep amethyst.
The last colorway is in various shades of copper and turquoise, and I think it looks like a flower that you might see blooming in the desert.
All three kits are available at beadorigami.com, and include all the materials necessary to make the the pendant and the matching earrings. Plus shipping is included in the kit price!
Colorway #1: Spring Blossom
The first colorway is in the very floral tones of cyclamen opal, pink, peach, and a nice sunny yellow. I've taken to wearing this one myself quite frequently!
Colorway #2: Tropical Oasis
The second colorway is in the cooler colors of fern green, teal, and deep amethyst.
Colorway #3: Desert Bloom
The last colorway is in various shades of copper and turquoise, and I think it looks like a flower that you might see blooming in the desert.
All three kits are available at beadorigami.com, and include all the materials necessary to make the the pendant and the matching earrings. Plus shipping is included in the kit price!
Monday, May 20, 2013
Serotonin and Dopamine Necklace
I finished another project! This necklace features beaded representations of two important brain molecules; serotonin and dopamine.
Last month I wrote about serotonin, a molecule in the brain associated with happy feelings. I also blogged about the process I went through to create beaded serotonin, where I went through several different colorways before arriving at the one that I liked. I settled on a colorway of metallic gold and pink, with accents of purple and peach:
Like serotonin, dopamine is also a small neurotransmitter. It is the key neurotransmitter of the reward system of the brain, which produces feelings of pleasure after rewarding experiences such as a delicious meal, sex, music, or finishing a beautiful beading project! In fact, any kind of reward experience will increase dopamine levels in the brain. However, dopamine levels are also increased in response to drug use, and it's linked to other kinds of addictive behaviors. Its precise roles in these and other complicated neural responses is still an active area of scientific research (which is scientist-speak for "we're still learning more about it!")
Dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine, which has one six-carbon aromatic ring, as opposed to the two-ring indole group of serotonin. Two oxygen atoms are connected to the ring, along with a branch of two carbons with a nitrogen on the end. The resulting beaded dopamine molecule is slightly smaller than serotonin, but from a structural chemistry point of view, both are still described as small molecule neurotransmitters.
To create this piece, I wove several beaded serotonin and dopamine molecules using the principles that I describe in my Morning Coffee Molecules pattern. I then painted the backs of the beaded molecules with several coats of acrylic floor finish, which made the beadwork stiff and sturdy. Then I connected the molecules together with jump rings, and attached them to a clasp to complete this necklace.
For a little while, I wasn't sure if this necklace was done. I debated adding crystals or fringe to this piece on the jump rings between each molecule, but I didn't want to detract from the beaded molecules themselves. This piece also has so many shiny metallic beads that any additional beads will either recede or clash with the molecules, so I relented, and decided to let this piece stand as-is.
...But my next neurotransmitter necklace will have an abundance of crystals!
If you're interested in the beading techniques behind this piece, check out my Morning Coffee Molecules pattern, where you can learn how to create a beaded caffeine molecule!
Serotonin
Last month I wrote about serotonin, a molecule in the brain associated with happy feelings. I also blogged about the process I went through to create beaded serotonin, where I went through several different colorways before arriving at the one that I liked. I settled on a colorway of metallic gold and pink, with accents of purple and peach:
Dopamine
Like serotonin, dopamine is also a small neurotransmitter. It is the key neurotransmitter of the reward system of the brain, which produces feelings of pleasure after rewarding experiences such as a delicious meal, sex, music, or finishing a beautiful beading project! In fact, any kind of reward experience will increase dopamine levels in the brain. However, dopamine levels are also increased in response to drug use, and it's linked to other kinds of addictive behaviors. Its precise roles in these and other complicated neural responses is still an active area of scientific research (which is scientist-speak for "we're still learning more about it!")
Dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine, which has one six-carbon aromatic ring, as opposed to the two-ring indole group of serotonin. Two oxygen atoms are connected to the ring, along with a branch of two carbons with a nitrogen on the end. The resulting beaded dopamine molecule is slightly smaller than serotonin, but from a structural chemistry point of view, both are still described as small molecule neurotransmitters.
A Happy, Rewarding Necklace!
To create this piece, I wove several beaded serotonin and dopamine molecules using the principles that I describe in my Morning Coffee Molecules pattern. I then painted the backs of the beaded molecules with several coats of acrylic floor finish, which made the beadwork stiff and sturdy. Then I connected the molecules together with jump rings, and attached them to a clasp to complete this necklace.
For a little while, I wasn't sure if this necklace was done. I debated adding crystals or fringe to this piece on the jump rings between each molecule, but I didn't want to detract from the beaded molecules themselves. This piece also has so many shiny metallic beads that any additional beads will either recede or clash with the molecules, so I relented, and decided to let this piece stand as-is.
...But my next neurotransmitter necklace will have an abundance of crystals!
If you're interested in the beading techniques behind this piece, check out my Morning Coffee Molecules pattern, where you can learn how to create a beaded caffeine molecule!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Origami Interlude: Rafaelita
To catch up with my monthly series of Origami Interludes, this month I folded two pieces using a module designed by Lukasheva Ekaterina of Kusudama.me.
Both pieces were created using the Rafaelita Module, which is folded from a square piece of paper. I went total bling and used a textured gold foil paper for these modules, cut into 3" squares. Foil paper is a double-edged sword to work with; it makes very crisp, clear creases that are easy to see and manipulate. However, once a crease is made in foil paper, it's there for good, so it's much less forgiving of errant creases compared to more fibrous papers such as washi.
Here's what one individual Rafaelita Module looks like after it's folded:
For the first completed kusudama, I wanted to test out the Rafaelita unit before folding all thirty pieces called for in the original pattern, so I folded and connected twelve Rafaelita modules together using the symmetry of a cube. I found the individual modules pretty straightforward to fold, but the joints were much tricker to do correctly than I had previously thought; the pockets have to be almost completely unfolded before the tabs can be inserted, and then additional creases are made in the tabs as they are enclosed by the pockets. However, no adhesives are needed to keep the finished Rafaelita constructions together. Here's what the 12-unit construction looks like:
It's slightly smaller than a baseball:
Once I was comfortable with the 12-unit construction, I folded thirty Rafaelita Modules for the 30-unit construction. This kusudama uses the symmetry of the dodecahedron, and I really like how its shows a floral motif on each side. I also like how none of the white backside of the foil paper is visible in the completed construction.
The 30-unit construction is a bit larger than the baseball:
I think both pieces will make gorgeous Christmas ornaments!
I can't count the number of times that I've used this same process to explore a new origami module. First, I'll fold the individual module. Then, I'll try the 12-unit construction. Finally, once I'm comfortable with that, I'll move on to the 30-unit construction, and sometimes I'll try other combinations of units. As Ekaterina shows in the gallery of her website, this series can be extended to 60, 90, and even 120-unit pieces!
Have you noticed the same strategy in my beadwork?
A free diagram and how-to video for the Rafaelita Module is available at Kusudama.me. Check out some of my previous interludes into paper origami here.
The Rafaelita Module
Here's what one individual Rafaelita Module looks like after it's folded:
The 12-Unit Kusudama
For the first completed kusudama, I wanted to test out the Rafaelita unit before folding all thirty pieces called for in the original pattern, so I folded and connected twelve Rafaelita modules together using the symmetry of a cube. I found the individual modules pretty straightforward to fold, but the joints were much tricker to do correctly than I had previously thought; the pockets have to be almost completely unfolded before the tabs can be inserted, and then additional creases are made in the tabs as they are enclosed by the pockets. However, no adhesives are needed to keep the finished Rafaelita constructions together. Here's what the 12-unit construction looks like:
It's slightly smaller than a baseball:
The 30-Unit Kusudama
Once I was comfortable with the 12-unit construction, I folded thirty Rafaelita Modules for the 30-unit construction. This kusudama uses the symmetry of the dodecahedron, and I really like how its shows a floral motif on each side. I also like how none of the white backside of the foil paper is visible in the completed construction.
The 30-unit construction is a bit larger than the baseball:
I think both pieces will make gorgeous Christmas ornaments!
Same Unit, Different Symmetries
I can't count the number of times that I've used this same process to explore a new origami module. First, I'll fold the individual module. Then, I'll try the 12-unit construction. Finally, once I'm comfortable with that, I'll move on to the 30-unit construction, and sometimes I'll try other combinations of units. As Ekaterina shows in the gallery of her website, this series can be extended to 60, 90, and even 120-unit pieces!
Have you noticed the same strategy in my beadwork?
A free diagram and how-to video for the Rafaelita Module is available at Kusudama.me. Check out some of my previous interludes into paper origami here.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Heliotrope Tropical Dahlia
Now that I've finished the beading projects that I needed to complete for the Bead & Button Show, I can switch gears and continue some projects that I've had sitting on the back burner for a while. First, I'm turning my attention back to the Tropical Dahlia Set.
As I previously mentioned, I think that a collection of these beaded flowers all strung together would make a nice necklace. I bought several heliotrope rivoli crystals with this idea in mind, only to find that these crystals are somewhat difficult to coordinate with other colors. They have the most gorgeous blue and purple hues, but I can't get them to work in the complementary color palettes that I'm used to using in this design, at least not with the rizos and drop beads that I have on hand. So I paired them with more subtle metallic blue rizo beads, silver drop beads, and blue shade crystals.
What do you think? Yay? Nay?
As I previously mentioned, I think that a collection of these beaded flowers all strung together would make a nice necklace. I bought several heliotrope rivoli crystals with this idea in mind, only to find that these crystals are somewhat difficult to coordinate with other colors. They have the most gorgeous blue and purple hues, but I can't get them to work in the complementary color palettes that I'm used to using in this design, at least not with the rizos and drop beads that I have on hand. So I paired them with more subtle metallic blue rizo beads, silver drop beads, and blue shade crystals.
What do you think? Yay? Nay?
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Cosmic Dodecahedron
Have you ever had an idea for a project, a project that you knew would be quite cool, but never seemed to find the time to sit down and build it? I've been thinking about weaving this beaded object for close to a year, but I knew it would take many hours of painstaking, fiddly beadwork, so I kept putting it off for another time. This past weekend, I finally sat down and put it together.
The result is a dodecahedral variation of my Cosmic Nocturne Pendant, and it is indeed as cool as I thought it would be! It's hollow and completely self-supporting, and surprisingly heavy for its size and lacy nature. It was also as fiddly as I thought it would be, as I had to perform several feats of Beading Needle Gymnastics to get the beads to go where they needed to go.
This is easily the largest beaded bead that I've ever created. So much so that I'm learning towards using it as a Christmas ornament. Here it is next to the beaded bead that was previously my largest design, the Fiberoptic Dodecahedron:
And here it is next to a quarter:
It measures about 45 mm in diameter, which makes it slightly larger than a golf ball. I don't have a golf ball for comparison, but I do have a baseball. It's a little larger than half the diameter of a baseball, and with enough practice, you can get it to balance on top of a baseball:
And of course, my tiny paper cranes had to get in on the act too :)
Together with the original Cosmic Nocturne Pendant and the Tetrahedral Variation, the Cosmic Dodecahedron variation completes the trio of these lacy beaded beads.
I'll be describing these variations in my Cosmic Nocturne Pendant class at the Bead & Button Show next month if you'd like to learn how to make your own!
The Cosmic Nocturne Pendant is just one of the projects that I'll be teaching at the Bead & Button Show this June. The class for this particular project is on Friday, June 7, from 1-4 PM. More information about the show can be found on their website.
A Dodecahedral Variation
The result is a dodecahedral variation of my Cosmic Nocturne Pendant, and it is indeed as cool as I thought it would be! It's hollow and completely self-supporting, and surprisingly heavy for its size and lacy nature. It was also as fiddly as I thought it would be, as I had to perform several feats of Beading Needle Gymnastics to get the beads to go where they needed to go.
A Very Large Beaded Bead
This is easily the largest beaded bead that I've ever created. So much so that I'm learning towards using it as a Christmas ornament. Here it is next to the beaded bead that was previously my largest design, the Fiberoptic Dodecahedron:
And here it is next to a quarter:
It measures about 45 mm in diameter, which makes it slightly larger than a golf ball. I don't have a golf ball for comparison, but I do have a baseball. It's a little larger than half the diameter of a baseball, and with enough practice, you can get it to balance on top of a baseball:
And of course, my tiny paper cranes had to get in on the act too :)
Three Cosmic Symmetries
Together with the original Cosmic Nocturne Pendant and the Tetrahedral Variation, the Cosmic Dodecahedron variation completes the trio of these lacy beaded beads.
I'll be describing these variations in my Cosmic Nocturne Pendant class at the Bead & Button Show next month if you'd like to learn how to make your own!
The Cosmic Nocturne Pendant is just one of the projects that I'll be teaching at the Bead & Button Show this June. The class for this particular project is on Friday, June 7, from 1-4 PM. More information about the show can be found on their website.
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